The Perfect Gift
by ChelsieSouloftheAbbey
Summary: UPDATED! Now a three-chapter modern AU for YellowBrickRoad's birthday celebrations! Stars a younger Chelsie and their growing family.
1. Chapter 1

**_A/N:_ This is a birthday fic for YellowBrickRoad (tumblr's theladychelsieofdownton), who has a thing for a younger AU Chelsie as parents. It's meant as a one-shot … for now, anyhow. Who knows? Maybe it'll become a bigger story somewhere down the line.**

 **I hope you enjoy it, my dear! Have a Beautiful Birthday and a fabulous New Year! xx**

 **CSotA**

* * *

"Oh, you've got to be frigging kidding me," Elsie muttered. She ran up the stairs two at a time as she heard her four-year-old daughter's footsteps pounding down the hall toward the bathroom, arriving just in time to see little Aubree _almost_ make it to the toilet … _Sigh._

 _Are we_ _ **ever**_ _going to be done with this goddamned stomach flu?! The party's in_ _ **two days!**_

Aubree started bawling, poor lass, and stood in the middle of the bathroom, the front of her nightgown absolutely covered once again. Elsie moved out of what was now sheer habit: she grabbed a bath towel, wrapped it around her darling, picked her up, and deposited her into the tub.

"I'm sorry, Mummy," Aubree snuffled, trying to stop crying as she wiped at her face with the towel. "I tried to get there in time."

"Hush, darling, don't you worry," Elsie soothed. She stripped Aubree's clothes off, holding the nightgown away from her daughter's face as she slipped it over her head. She gathered everything up in the towel and ran the bath water, adding an extra pour of Aubree's favorite bubble bath.

"You play in the tub for a bit while I clean up, alright?"

Aubree nodded, already reaching for her basket of toys that was suctioned to the wall. Elsie smiled at her and then cleaned up the floor, dumping everything in the washing machine and turning it on. She thanked heaven once again that Charlie had insisted on piping in new plumbing to move the washer _upstairs,_ directly next to the bathroom sink.

"Let's see," Elsie cooed, turning her attention back to her daughter as she turned off the faucet and felt the little girl's forehead. "No fever, which means you _should_ be on the mend soon, my little one. How do you feel now?"

"Better," Aubree said, squirting water out of the mouth of a rubber duck and spraying Elsie in the process. "Oh! Sorry!"

"It's quite alright," Elsie laughed, wiping her arm. "Your tummy is okay now? No more rumblies?"

"Nope," Aubree said. "Mummy, what if I'm not better for Papa's party?"

"Don't you worry about a thing, you should be just fine by then," Elsie answered, keeping all trace of her own worry out of her voice.

 _Fifty people at that party, including all of our babysitters! I_ _ **hope**_ _you're better by then!_

"Now, tilt your head back and we'll do your hair, hm? It's got some yuck in it again."

Aubree leaned back, and Elsie started the process all over again … for the umpteenth time this week. She ran warm water through her daughter's long, red curls, and started mentally reviewing the list of things she had to get done today.

 _With any luck,_ she thought, _Anna won't mind babysitting._

Elsie let Aubree play until the washer was done its cycle, then she threw the clothes into the dryer and got her girl out of the tub.

"New nightgown," she ordered. _If you have any_ _ **left,**_ _she added silently._ "And then back to bed. I'll put in a movie for you, alright?"

"Okay. Can I watch my _Little Bear_ one again?"

"Are you serious? You've watched that three times today!" Elsie teased, knowing full well that her daughter was dead serious.

"Yes, Mummy," Aubree answered. "Please?"

"That's fine, darling," Elsie said. "Just sit up off the pillow until your hair is dry, alright? And you have the bucket by your bed, remember – try to _use_ it if you feel sick again, alright?" she winked.

Aubree giggled. "Alright."

* * *

"Oh, thank God you could come," Elsie sighed, letting Anna in the front door.

"It was no trouble, Elsie. We're on break and already have all of my grading done."

Anna taught at the local elementary school – second grade – and the students had gotten out on spring break two days before. She lived two doors down from the Carsons and was Aubree's favorite babysitter. Elsie had concerns about how long their good fortune would last, though, thinking that the every-other-Friday-night-date night which she and Charles had maintained throughout their marriage was in imminent danger; Anna had recently become interested in the fifth-grade social studies teacher, a man named John, and talked about him incessantly. Still, things were moving relatively slowly in that department, and Elsie was grateful to have caught Anna today.

"Alright. I have to meet with the DJ, order the cake, check in with the caterer … oh, yes, and buy my husband a gift," she rattled off.

"You don't have his gift yet?" Anna exclaimed, shocked. "But you're always so on top of _everything!"_

Elsie scowled at her. "Anna Smith, don't you start. You know he's impossible to shop for! Goodness, if it's not a book or a new fountain pen – both of which he has in ample amounts, thank you very much – it's like he finds it 'useless.' I do have an idea, though, but it's dependent on whether or not they can pull it off in time."

"Alright. Well, I'm free all day, so just text when you're on your way back." She looked up the stairs at Aubree's open door. "No food, I take it?"

"Not for at least a couple of hours. If she seems better and has a little color back in her face, start her on a few dry Cheerios and see how those go down. She won't complain, she'd eat those in her sleep if she could," Elsie said with a trace of a smile. She was worried about her girl, and crossed her fingers that they were through the worst of it now.

"Sounds good. Okay, off you go!" Anna said, grabbing Elsie's shoulders and pushing her toward the door. "If you don't stop worrying, you'll never leave this house!"

Elsie smiled at her. "Thank you, Anna. Honestly, I don't know what I'd ever do without you some days."

Anna just shook her head and blushed faintly. "Well," she answered quietly, "it's a good thing I adore your little girl, then, isn't it? Now _go!"_

* * *

Elsie took her time, making sure every last detail was accounted for. The DJ was all set, the caterer squared away after a couple of last-minute RSVPs that had changed the head count, and the cake was ordered – a five-layer chocolate with fresh berry filling and a lovely ganache on top – and set for delivery to Robert and Cora's on the morning of the party. Elsie was so grateful to their friends for volunteering to host the event at their enormous home; Charlie thought they were just going over for a fancy birthday dinner, and Elsie knew he wouldn't suspect a thing.

 _Well,_ she thought, _he might have … if I hadn't told him his party was_ _ **next**_ _weekend._

The thought made her smile as she practically skipped into the door of her next stop, where she hoped to have his birthday gift ordered in the next half hour.

* * *

 _ **Two days later …** _

Elsie heard the creak of the bedroom door and nudged her husband.

"Charlie, we have an intruder," she said, placing a kiss to his shoulder.

"Hmph, I don't hear anything," he grumbled, opening his eyes and winking at her.

"Oh," Elsie said a bit more loudly, "perhaps I was mistaken. I thought I heard the footsteps of a little monster running about, and I was quite fearful for our lives, but it seems I was wrong." She faked a yawn and rolled away from Charlie, making a space between them for what she knew was coming momentarily.

"Happy Birthday, Papa!" Aubree squealed, taking a running start and a flying leap into the center of the bed. "You're thirty today!" she yelled.

"What's this? An _intruder?"_ he growled playfully, rolling over to face his beautiful wife. "You know what we do with intruders, don't you, Els?"

"No," she played along. "I have no idea … what _should_ we do?"

Aubree squealed and tucked herself into a little ball, chucking her stuffed tiger aside as she knew what was coming.

"We attack them!" Charles almost roared, sitting up quickly and reaching out to tickle Aubree's sides. Aubree screamed and laughed with glee, until Elsie reached out a hand to stop him after a moment.

"If you make her throw up again, Charles Carson, so help me God, you'll wish you never saw the light of this day." Aubree had been feeling fine the past 36 hours, and Elsie was hell-bent on keeping it that way.

"I know, I know," he said, stopping the tickle attack and scooping Aubree up into his arms and onto his lap. He laid a kiss on her forehead.

"Thank you, my darling girl, for the big birthday wishes."

Aubree wrapped her arms around her Papa's neck and hugged him tightly. "I made you a card," she said. "It's in my room. Shall I go and get it?"

"Perhaps you can bring it down to breakfast in a little bit," he answered, extending his left arm out so that Elsie could snuggle in. "For now, I want to enjoy this wonderful birthday snuggle with my girls," he murmured.

Elsie reached her hand up and ran her fingers through his mussed hair, giving him a knowing smile and a raised eyebrow as they remembered why, exactly, it was that his hair was _particularly_ messy this morning.

"Happy Birthday, love," she whispered, planting a loving kiss to his stubbly chin.

* * *

"Elsie, where's my red tie?" Charlie called down the hall.

Elsie made her way into the walk-in closet, already spotting the tie in question as she finished putting in her earring.

"This one?" she asked with a smirk, reaching around him to grab it off of the hanger. "You know you don't need to wear a tie tonight. If I didn't know better, I'd think you planned to trap me in this closet and have your way with me, Charlie," she purred in his ear.

He reached for the door and pushed it halfway shut, then grabbed his wife around the waist and pulled her behind it, giving her a searing kiss that took her breath away.

"And if I did?" he asked when they came up for air. "Would you complain?"

"Not on your life," she answered, her voice thick with desire, "but this is _so_ not the time, Charlie. Aubree's waiting downstairs, and we're to be at Robert and Cora's in half an hour."

"I know. Thank you, darling, for today. An afternoon cuddled up with you and Aubree watching old movies was the best gift I could have received," he said, opening the door again and following her out of the closet.

"I'm glad," she answered.

 _Just wait until he sees what else is in store,_ she thought gleefully.

They made their way downstairs and donned their coats, then headed off to Charlie's 'birthday dinner.'

* * *

"Surprise!" everyone shouted as the Carsons made their way into the front door.

"What?" Charles whispered, his gaze flying to meet his wife's sparkling, blue eyes. "But how …?"

"Cora and Robert offered months ago, and we planned the specifics last week when you were away on that business trip," she admitted, kissing him gently.

"Everyone parked in the lot down the road and Robert shuttled them here," Cora added.

"Happy Birthday, love," Elsie said.

"You're quite the little plotter, aren't you?" he asked playfully, tapping her on the nose with his knuckle. "And _you,"_ he added to Aubree, who was positively bursting with excitement. "How did _you_ keep this secret from me?"

"Mummy made me _promise_ not to tell," she said. "Did I do a good job?"

"You did a _marvelous_ job, little one," Cora said, kissing them all on the cheek. "Now come in and say hello to everyone!"

The next hour was spent mingling with their friends and family, all of whom had managed to make it to the party. Anna and John were tucked away in a corner on the loveseat. Aubree spotted them and clambered up onto Anna's lap, getting an introduction to John – who, Elsie was pleased to note, seemed to be thrilled with her little girl's exuberance.

 _Good thing,_ she thought, _because Anna will want children for sure._

She knew Charlie would chide her for getting ahead of herself, but he'd never seen Anna when she was mid-discussion of John's positive characteristics. It was clear to Elsie that Anna was already thinking in the long-term.

Robert tapped gently on his glass, getting everyone's attention. "I believe a birthday toast is in order," he said, and everyone reached for a glass.

"To Charles Carson, the best friend I could ever hope to have," he said in a loud, clear voice. "We've known each other over twenty years, and he's been watching out for me the entire time – including that one semester that I almost ran away with the band. That's not a lie, folks," he quipped amidst the laughter of their guests. "I can honestly say that I've never known a kinder, more honest man. Cora and I are delighted to be a part of your special day, mate – here's to another thirty years of happiness for you _and_ your lovely family. To Charles!"

"To Charles!" everyone echoed, and Charlie turned to look at his wife, noting for the first time that it was a water glass that she held in her hand.

"What's that?" he asked, his voice slightly wavering from both the emotions invoked by his friend's toast and by the amount of alcohol he'd consumed already. "You need a glass of champagne."

"I'd better not," Elsie said quietly.

"Oh, no … you've not caught what Aubree had, have you?" he enquired, suddenly worried.

"Well, I may be feeling ill soon enough … but it won't be from the flu," she admitted, a smile breaking out on her face as she saw the realization dawn in his eyes.

"Are you serious?" he whispered. "Oh, Elsie …"

He bent down to kiss her fully, ignoring the whistles and one catcall that he was sure had come from the Mason-Parker clan in the back of the room.

* * *

Elsie finished brushing her hair and padded down the hall in her nightshirt to check that Aubree was still comfortably tucked into bed and sleeping. Her daughter's soft snores warmed her heart, and she bent to place a soft kiss on Aubree's head before tiptoeing out of the room and back to her own.

"There you are," Charles said quietly, extending his arms as he rested against the headboard. "Come here, love."

"Are you fully recovered now?" she asked, reaching out to grab his gift off of the bureau before climbing into bed and sitting astride his lap. "Because if you're not, this can wait."

"Recovered from what? The alcohol – yes. The news that I'm going to be a father to not one but _two_ marvelous children – no, never," he whispered, running his fingers through Elsie's hair as he pulled her in for a lingering kiss.

"Here," she said breathlessly, handing him the box. "For you. I didn't want to bring it to the party, for reasons which will become obvious when you open it."

Charles took the box from her hands and undid the bow, then carefully pried away the paper. He lifted the lid and gasped, reaching in slowly to remove a stunning gold pocket watch.

"Elsie, this is amazing," he marveled. "I've always wanted one of these - really."

"I'm glad," she said, kissing his forehead. "Open it."

He pressed the button and clicked it open, spying the inscription engraved inside.

 _With all that we have,_

 _And all that we are._

 _Love, Elsie and Aubree … and Baby makes three_

His eyes filled, and two tears spilled over onto his cheeks.

"You mean everything to me, love. You and Aubree and our new little one," he whispered, reaching his hand out and laying it over her abdomen.

"Happy Birthday, Charlie," Elsie whispered back. She reached out to wipe his tears, and then bent to kiss him softly. "I hope it was a good one."

"The best, my darling – the very best."

* * *

 **A little review would be much appreciated! I do hope you enjoyed it, my friend. x**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: A pure-fluff birthday update for a sweet friend, tumblr's theladychelsieofdownton (YellowBrickRoad here). I wrote Chapter 1 last year for her birthday, and left the story marked "in progress" in case I managed a sequel chapter this year.**

 **This chapter takes place, oh, ABOUT NINE MONTHS after the last one ended. :) Please go back and read Chapter 1 if you've not read it or have forgotten how it went, because this one will allude to that and uses the same characters. Neither of them are terribly long.**

 **Happiest of birthdays to the New Year's Eve baby! Love you xxx**

 **CSotA**

* * *

The beeping of the monitor by Elsie's bedside, along with her deep, regular breaths as she slumbered, were the only sounds to be heard in the hospital room. Charles looked around, taking in some of the details for the first time: the pale green of the window coverings, the soft, blue glow coming from the light in the bathroom, and the way the moonlight was playing across the curtain that was pulled back by his wife's bed.

Two sudden, new sounds swiftly drew his attention: a coo, followed by a gurgle, which had come from the small, warm bundle currently cradled in his arms.

Charles looked down at his newborn son's red, crumpled face; leaning forward, he placed a lingering kiss to the boy's forehead, careful not to scratch him with the stubble Charles knew was now adorning his own chin and upper lip. It had been a long day and an even longer night, but as he breathed in the scent of the baby, his heart was finally at peace.

"Well, James Robert Carson," he murmured, running the back of his knuckle down the side of the baby's face, "what do you think of the world so far?"

James cracked open his eye - brilliant blue, just like his Mum's - and stared at his Papa … and then closed it, squirmed for a moment, and promptly fell asleep once again.

"Charlie?"

Charles looked over to find Elsie staring at him. She was clearly still exhausted, and he felt horrible for having woken her.

"I'm sorry, love," he said. "I didn't meant to wake you."

"You didn't," she reassured him, extending her hand so that he could clasp it. "He's going to need to nurse soon."

"Well, he's just fallen asleep again," Charles admitted, lifting her hand and kissing the back of it. "And it's been just under two hours. Why don't you nod off for another half-hour and I'll wake you at four? Maybe he'll be more ready then."

"Sounds good," she replied, her voice thick with fatigue. "I must look like hell."

"You look beautiful," he countered, rising from the chair and sitting on the edge of her bed.

James squirmed again but didn't wake, and Charles breathed a sigh of relief.

"I do not."

But Elsie smiled in defeat when Charles leaned over to kiss her, his lips lingering on hers for just a moment longer than usual.

"You worked very, very hard today, love," he whispered. "Now rest, and I'll wake you soon enough."

"Alright."

Charles spent the next half hour staring at James. From the dimpled chin to the shock of hair atop the boy's head, he so resembled the Carson men from whom he was descended; and yet, he was his mother's son, too - beautiful, blue eyes, definitely Elsie's nose and the curve of her lips, and the stubborn streak evident even in the struggle to bring him into the world.

Eighteen hours of labor - almost unheard of for a mother's second time around, or so the doctor had tried to explain. But Charles felt the explanation was simpler than anything offered up by the hospital's staff: James was a rather large baby, and Elsie a very petite woman. And so, ten minutes into her nineteenth hour of labor, Elsie gave in and allowed them to wheel her away for a cesarean section.

The half hour passed swiftly, astounding Charles, who wondered how one could simply sit and contemplate the existence of a brand-new part of the family and have the minutes speed on by as they had.

"Good morning, my lad," Charles said, shifting James in his arms once again. He pulled down on the blanket, exposing the boy's naked arms to the coolness of the room, and blew gently on his face. "Time to wake up and have your breakfast, hm?"

James did open his eyes, and even though he knew it wasn't possible just yet, Charles imagined that his boy was scanning the features of the room; in reality, he was probably just becoming accustomed to the changes in light and to the sound of his father's voice.

He reached over and turned his attentions to his wife.

"Elsie?"

Charles shook her shoulder gently, and she woke immediately.

"Mm? Oh, there he is," she said sweetly, extending her arms for her baby. "My lovely boy."

"That he is," Charles agreed, placing James into her arms and unsnapping her hospital gown, lowering the panel over her swollen breast. He watched as she expertly tugged open the baby's mouth and helped him to latch on.

"It's funny how it all comes back," she murmured as James began to suckle. "I'd worried it wouldn't. It's been so long since Aubree was a baby."

"But you were a natural then, too," he praised her, pushing her legs over a bit so that he could sit on the bed. "And so is he - look at that! Proper form and everything."

He looked up to see Elsie smirking at him, and he just laughed.

"I know," he said before she could comment, his eyebrows waggling. "Just like his father."

She giggled as she slapped his wrist, and then they both turned their attentions back to the beautiful, strong boy in her arms.

"Welcome to the world, James," Elsie cooed. "Your sister is so looking forward to meeting you."

"She'll be here sometime around lunch," Charles said. "Anna texted last night, said Aubree had fallen asleep at ten. All things considered, I'd say that's not too bad."

Elsie looked up. "Better than I'd have expected. Oh, I hated to send her home, Charlie."

"You needed her _not_ to be here, Els. There's nothing wrong with that."

"I know. But I don't want her feeling excluded. We'll have to work hard to be sure she doesn't feel left out."

"Well," Charles reasoned, caressing Elsie's knee absentmindedly with his hand, "there are two of us and two of them, right? So when we need to, we can sort of divide and conquer. I'll be sure to do some special things with Aubree while you and James are resting at home, and when you're up to it and he's taking a bottle, then you can have some girls' time and leave him with me."

"You're remarkable, Charlie. Did you know that?"

He just looked down at James and gave his wife's leg an extra squeeze, too overcome with joy to reply at all.

 **oOoOoOoOo**

Aubree showed up at eleven in the morning, freshly bathed and with a flower poking out from her braided hair. In her hands was a stuffed bear, which she'd insisted needed to arrive today in order for James to receive it on his actual birthday.

"You've got the same birthday as the bear," she told her baby brother. "See? On the tag it says '31 December.' Just like you!"

Her squeal startled James, who jerked in Elsie's arms.

"Ohh," Aubree said quietly, "I'm sorry, Mummy."

"Don't be. You just startled him is all. The world isn't always a quiet place, and he'll get used to sleeping amidst all the noise of it. The bear was a very, very thoughtful gesture, Aubree. Thank you."

She leaned over and kissed her daughter's red hair, tickling her chin as she did so and making Aubree giggle.

"How are you?" Anna asked from where she stood at the foot of the bed. "Honestly."

"On a scale of one to ten, as they keep asking me, the pain is about a six. Not bad, considering I'm overdue for medication."

"She wants to go home," Charles rumbled from the bedside chair, and he reached his hands out to help Aubree climb up onto his lap. "Today."

"Which isn't going to be happening," came a clipped voice from the doorway.

Anna turned to see the doctor who'd just entered, and she took the woman's hand when it was offered.

"Doctor Clarkson, I presume?" Anna asked, and the woman nodded. "Anna Bates."

"Pleased to meet you. I'm sorry to have missed you last night. And it's Isobel, please. My husband is also a doctor here, down in Pedes, and it gets rather confusing," she laughed. "So, Elsie, a six, eh?"

"Yes, ma'am," Elsie informed her. "So … tomorrow?"

"Day after at the earliest," Isobel said, sitting at the computer to enter a few things. "He's nursing well?"

"Like a champion," Elsie told her.

"Good, good," Isobel muttered, typing. "I'd like to take him for a couple of hours and have you eat with your family, and then let you get some rest. Charles can come and get him around two, if that's okay with you. We'll do the routine measurements and things and then we won't need to disturb you the rest of the day."

"That sounds perfect," Charles piped in before Elsie could speak. He glanced over at her and the look he sent her was clear as day: _You_ _ **will**_ _eat and you_ _ **will**_ _rest._

Elsie sighed, but she nodded her agreement.

"May we eat in here?" Aubree asked, clearly delighted. "In Mummy's room?"

Isobel stood and nodded sweetly at the beautiful girl. "You may. And we've even got room service here! You fill out this little card," she added, handing the menu card to Aubree, "and give it to the nurse just out there at the desk when you've finished."

Aubree followed where the doctor was pointing, and she saw the nurse at the desk wave a little _hello_ to her; Aubree waved back, and then turned her attention back to the card.

"Then, in about half an hour or less, someone will bring the food up here."

"Brilliant," Aubree whispered, her eyes alight with joy. "Thank you!"

Isobel chuckled as she headed toward the door. "My pleasure."

Charles took James and placed him in the rolling bassinet, then handed him off to Isobel.

"Take good care of him," he mumbled gruffly, and Isobel was touched to see the love with which Charles was looking at his son.

"We always do," was her reply, and she patted his arm. "Now you go back there and love on your girls for a bit, hm?"

Charles sniffed and nodded, and he felt Aubree tug at his hand.

"Papa? I need help reading some of the menu."

He sat with her again and they made selections, and then Anna left for a while to run some errands of her own.

"I'll be back at seven to fetch you," she told Aubree, who nodded.

"I've got my coloring books and pencils," Aubree said happily. "I'll make you a picture!"

"That'd be lovely," Anna said, kissing her forehead.

Elsie watched as Anna left, and she encouraged Aubree to come and sit beside her in the bed once the menu selections had been turned in at the nurses' station.

Charles waited until Aubree was settled and then he reached over and took the brush from the bedside table, moving to brush Elsie's hair and smiling as she sighed with happiness.

"That's heavenly," she told him.

"It's nice when Papa brushes my hair, too," Aubree said as she nestled in next to her Mummy.

Charles smiled, and then leaned forward and kissed Elsie on the head.

"I love you, my precious girls," he said, his voice quavering with his overwhelming emotion.

"We love you, too, Papa," Aubree informed him.

"Yes, Papa," Elsie sighed, leaning back against his side, "we do. Very much, indeed."

The rest of their time was spent having their lunch, then an early dinner, and coloring, with Elsie dozing off a few times and Aubree checking on her to be sure she was feeling well. Aubree got to sit in the bed and hold her brother, placing a generous amount of soft kisses on his forehead.

"He smells nice," she commented to her mother, and Elsie nodded.

"It's lovely, isn't it?"

And Aubree was fascinated by watching Elsie nurse James. She knew that was how many mothers fed their children, but she was surprised by the gentle gurgling sounds, and by the fact that Elsie putting the baby on her shoulder and patting his back would cause him to burp. She had no recollection herself of having been fed this way, as Elsie had weaned her just before her first birthday.

As it came close to the time Anna would be arriving, Charles reached down and picked Aubree up, settling her on his hip and smiling as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Now, I want you to be a very good girl for Anna," he said, kissing her on the nose, and she nodded.

"I will, Papa," she told him, her face serious. "And for you and Mummy, when you get home with James."

Just then, James cooed in his cradle.

"He knows his name!" Aubree cried delightedly, and Elsie and Charles laughed.

"Perhaps he does," Charles said.

And, with that, Elsie reached out and took her husband's hand in one of hers.

"I love you so much," she told him. "I feel like this is going to be the best New Year ever."

"It will be," Charles agreed with a smile. "And I love you, too."

"And me?" Aubree asked innocently.

"And you," he clarified. "'With all that I have, and all that I am.' I love you, Elsie and Aubree ... and now James makes three."

Elsie glanced at his waist, where the chain of his pocket watch was peeking out, and smiled, her heart full of joy for her amazing, wonderful family.

* * *

 **A wee review would be lovely! That's it for me for a bit - I'll see you all in a couple of months! xxx Best wishes for a Happy, Healthy New Year. x**


	3. Chapter 3

**With love for theladychelsieofdownton/YellowBrickRoad, for whom this story was crafted to celebrate her birthday (and I'm a day late in posting this update, so please forgive me). I hope I've done this justice. xxx**

 **CSotA**

* * *

It was a bright, sunny day, but that didn't stop Elsie from pulling every winter accessory she could find from the kids' dressers. She could hear the wind as it blew over the roof, and a quick glance outside showed the sparkling, fluffy snow whipping about the garden. Tucking a hat under her arm and snatching the strap to attach James's mittens to one another through his coat sleeves, she headed back downstairs just in time to hear both her children erupt into giggles.

"Whatever is going on in here?" she asked them, and she laughed as Aubree looked over quickly, a bit of fear in her eyes before she realized she wasn't in trouble. "Are you two having fun?"

"We are, Mummy," Aubree smiled, and she leaned over the edge of her brother's play yard wall to pick up a toy. "I keep tickling Jamie with the fluff on his bunny, and he likes it!"

To demonstrate, Aubree pulled at the bunny's tail until its cottony material was as fluffy as could be and then reached in _slowly,_ putting the tail closer and closer to her baby brother's cheek. When she got as close as possible without touching him, she shouted, "Tickle, tickle!" and brushed the stuffed animal against his cheek and neck, causing one-year-old James to laugh with delight whilst squirming away.

"Well, I daresay you'll both sleep well tonight," Elsie told her girl. "Now, we need to get all bundled up. Papa will be here shortly and it'll be time to go."

"Where are we going, Mummy?"

Aubree had asked this about a dozen times, and each time Elsie had just shaken her head and explained that it was a surprise. She and Charles had cooked this up weeks ago after seeing an advertisement in the local paper, but they knew that telling Aubree - who was only six years old - about it _then_ would have been foolish. Better to have her be surprised, Elsie had said, and her husband had agreed.

"I know," Aubree said, rolling her eyes a bit. "It's a _surprise."_

"It is," Elsie replied, an eyebrow raised at her daughter's cheek, "and that's quite enough of the rolling eyeballs, thank you very much."

Somewhat chagrined, Aubree dutifully put on her coat and began working at the buttons. It was a new task for her, and she did it with focus and enthusiasm as Elsie pulled James up from the playpen and got him stuffed into his own clothes. He fussed a bit, but she was able to shush him with a few kisses and quiet words, and she knew he'd be asleep in moments as soon as they got on the road.

The holiday bell on the front door jingled, and Elsie called down to Charles, "We're up here!"

"Almost ready then?" came his voice from the bottom of the stairs. "Do you need help?"

"No. I think we're alright."

"May I go down?" Aubree asked, and Elsie glanced to verify the coat was entirely buttoned before nodding in her daughter's direction.

"Careful on the steps, Aubree love."

"Hold onto the railing," Aubree replied, already out of the play room door. "I know, Mummy. I'll be careful."

Elsie watched as the red pom-pom on Aubree's hat bounced with each step her daughter took, and she took a deep breath as her heart swelled with love. Turning to James, Elsie leaned down and kissed the dark hair falling over his forehead.

"So much like your Papa's," she whispered. "Now, let's see what we have in store for you two, shall we?"

She held him close as she headed downstairs, stopping at the bottom for Charles to wrap his arms around them both before placing a long, lingering kiss on his wife's lips.

"How was your day?" he asked, ruffling his son's hair and taking James's hat from Elsie's pocket to put it on.

"The usual, although I'm so excited about tonight that I had trouble focusing on finishing the plans for our Christmas party."

"Well, let's hope James doesn't scream and wail and cry this time, shall we?" Charles said, cringing. They'd brought him to see Santa last week and it had decidedly _not_ gone well.

"That was different," Elsie reminded him, remembering. "A mall full of screaming children, heat on too high, angry shoppers …" She shuddered. "This will be so much better, I think."

"But cold," Charles reminded her, tapping her nose. "So go bundle up, Mummy, and I'll get these hooligans in the car."

oOoOoOo

When they pulled into the parking area, Elsie gasped. She turned to look at Aubree, who was staring at the entire scene, mouth agape.

"Good choice we made," Charles mumbled, and he reached over and patted his wife's knee.

"Indeed."

The parking was next to the park downtown, which had been completely transformed. The recent snowfall highlighted the scene perfectly: the gazebo, set in the middle of the park, was wrapped in twinkling, white holiday lights, and the surrounding bushes glowed in a multitude of colors. Down the pathway that led from the gazebo to the small road were more lights, much larger globes that glowed softly. To the side was a Christmas tree-selling area, then across from that a beverage stand with cocoa, mulled cider, tea, and coffee.

But the thing that drew Aubree's rapt attention was located in a small area beside the gazebo. It was a patio, in which sat a bench.

And, seated upon the bench with a small child on her knee ...

"Princess Elsa," Aubree breathed.

"Is … Is that _Elsa?_ The _real_ Elsa?" Charles asked with a gasp. He turned to face his eldest, his eyes wide, and Aubree nodded quickly and began to get very, _very_ excited.

"It is! Papa, it's _her!_ It's Elsa from _Frozen!"_

James, who'd recently woken, scrunched up his face, and Charles swiftly reached back and rubbed his son's snowsuit-clad leg to soothe him. "Shh, it's alright. She's just excited."

"Sorry," Aubree muttered, already unbuckled and reaching for the door handle. "Mumma? Can we go see her?"

"Of course," Elsie told her, and she and Charles got both kids out of the car and headed to where Princess Elsa stood - James in his Papa's arms, and Aubree holding tightly to her mother's gloved hand.

As they approached the "Elsa," Elsie marveled at her appearance. She was the spitting image of the cartoon princess, right down to the details on her dress.

"Well, hello there!" the young woman greeted the Carsons. "Merry Christmas to you!"

"And to you," came Charles's polite reply, which was immediately followed by Elsie's, "Oh, you dear girl, you must be freezing!"

"Mummy," Aubree chided, "Princess Elsa doesn't get cold. She _loves_ the cold." She looked over at Elsa quickly. "Can you build an ice castle here? For us to play in?"

"Oh, sweetheart, I'm afraid I can't. I'm only here to visit for a short time, and I'd like to say hello to as many sweet children as I can before I have to go." She patted the bench beside herself. "Would you like to come over here and sit with me?"

"And then Papa can take a hundred pictures," Elsie teased, and Elsa looked up to her and winked, laughing lightly.

"Precisely."

Aubree clambered up onto the bench, and Elsa reached out for James. "Will he sit with me?" she asked, and Charles and Elsie looked at one another.

"We can try," Charles said, shifting to place James in her lap.

"He hated Santa," Aubree added, shaking her head. "He doesn't understand like I do."

At that, all three adults laughed, which caused James to begin giggling as well, eager to join in.

"Well, would you look at that?" Elsie marveled. She watched as her son sat peacefully on Elsa's lap, looking up at her and seemingly enraptured by her long, twisted blond hair and the sparkles by her eyes, which twinkled in the fairy lights.

"Well hello there," Elsa said, smiling down at him. "What's your name?"

"He can't talk," Aubree said. "But his name is James. I call him Jimmy sometimes, but Papa doesn't like that name. I call him Jamie now - sometimes."

"I see," Elsa said. "Well, has James been a very good boy this year? I do hope so. I like to hear that all children are doing well at home."

"He has, but he cries a lot," Aubree replied. "His teeth hurt."

Charles snapped away with his camera as Elsie looked on, fascinated by how not one but _both_ of their children were so comfortable with the complete stranger that was in the Elsa costume. Several minutes passed, and Elsie realized it must be a lull in the crowd; it was dinnertime, and Charles had assumed that would mean it would be less busy.

"Quiet now," Elsa said, as if reading Elsie's mind. "Which means I get to spend all this time with … _you,"_ she added, tapping Aubree's nose.

"Your finger is cold!" Augree said.

"So's your nose," Elsa replied with a wink.

They continued chatting for a few more minutes, until James became restless. Charles put away the camera and scooped up his boy.

"I think it's time for us to go," he told Aubree, who pouted. "Why don't you say your goodbyes to Princess Elsa."

Aubree looked to Elsa for verification, and Elsa nodded.

"He's right, dear," she said softly. "But if I could have a hug before you go, that would make my night _extra-_ special."

Aubree's face lit up and she practically dove into Elsa's arms, giving her a big squeeze. "Thank you for coming to visit us all," she said, sounding very grown up. "Will you be back?"

"Perhaps next Christmas," Elsa said. "I have so many little children to visit every year, but this was a lovely place to be, and I'd like to return."

"Will you remember us?" Aubree asked, wide-eyed with wonder, and Elsa nodded.

"Of course, dear. Merry Christmas to you. You'd better go along with your Papa now, hm?"

"Okay," Aubree agreed sadly. She took Charles's outstretched hand and allowed him to lead her to the car, but she stopped suddenly and turned. "Can you say hello to Olaf for me?" she shouted.

Elsa laughed lightly and nodded. "Of course, dear. He'll be so sorry not to have met you."

Aubree nodded back, then headed to the car with her Papa and James. The wind had begun to blow more strongly, and she was getting very cold.

"Bless you for being out in this weather," Elsie told the younger woman. "You really must be freezing, magic or not."

"It's pretty cold," Elsa replied with a laugh, "but it's worth it when I see their faces. You have a lovely family, ma'am."

"Thank you for that," Elsie replied. "And thank you for being here. It's a wonderful idea, this fundraiser. Better than the Santa at the mall, charging ridiculous prices and for no other benefit than the photograph."

Elsa looked over at the sign by the bench, which advertised her name and, in much smaller print at the bottom, the name of the children's hospital that would benefit from a large portion of the proceeds that families were paying to visit with her.

"Well, we all need to do what we can, especially at Christmas," she said kindly. "Thank you so much for bringing them, and I truly do hope to see you all next year. With your daughter's lovely, red hair and those blue eyes, I don't think I'll easily forget her."

"We'll see you then," Elsie said, shaking the woman's hand. "Thank you again."

Charles watched as his wife hurried to the car, which he already had running so that the heat would be going.

"All set, then?" he asked, and she nodded.

"All set." She turned to Aubree. "So? Was it a good surprise?"

Charles was focused on backing out of the parking spot, but he could see in his mind's eye the delight on his daughter's face that would match the happiness in her voice.

"It was the best day _ever!"_ Aubree said. "Even better than the night I slept over at Auntie Anna's house."

"Well, there we have it," Charles said, smiling. "A very good evening, indeed."

Elsie reached for his hand, removed his glove, and kissed his palm.

"Thank you, Papa," she whispered. "What a lovely way to bask in the joy that Christmas can bring."

"Even in the cold," Aubree added, slipping off her mitten to feel her nose.

"Even in the cold," Elsie laughed.

 _The End._


End file.
